The No. 1 Auburn Equestrian squad travelled up to Martin, Tenn. to take on the UT Martin Skyhawks on Saturday. After a match that was a bit closer than some expected, Auburn emerged with an 11-8 victory.
Auburn, which entered the event at 6-1, dominated the day, taking home three of four Most Outstanding Performer honors and rolling past the Skyhawks behind strong performances across the board. Freshman Caroline Olsen earned Most Outstanding Performer in Fences, while juniors Avery Glynn and Brooke Jolstad claimed the honors in Flat and Horsemanship.
The Tigers set the tone early in Jumping Seat, winning 7-3 behind a 4-1 Fences performance. Olsen highlighted the event with a meet-best 87, while Auburn also picked up wins from Ariana Marnell, Kate Hagerty, and Emily Jurnovoy, who earned the first victory of her career. Auburn carried that momentum into Flat, going 3-2, with Glynn posting an 89 to secure Most Outstanding Performer and Marnell sealing the event with her win.
Horsemanship continued Auburn’s strong showing, finishing 3-1-1. Jolstad led the way with a career-high 78 for MOP, while wins from Callie Hogg and Caroline Fredenburg helped keep the Tigers in control. Alexia Tordoff capped the day with Auburn’s lone Reining point, earning a 69.5-66.5 victory.
Overall, Auburn head coach Jessica Braswell was encouraged by the performance from her squad against the Skyhawks.
“Fences and Horsemanship continue to lead the way for us and be our most consistent events,” Braswell said. “Flat is coming along and getting stronger and all our mistakes in Reining today are fixable. We’re excited to get back to work Monday to prepare for a big SEC contest on the road at South Carolina.”
Auburn now turns its attention to more familiar foes, as the Tigers will head on the road to face No. 3 South Carolina on Saturday, Feb. 7, in Blythewood, SC.
